Cold Start (Part 1)

Posted on Mon Mar 3rd, 2025 @ 2:15am by Captain Patricia Cooke & Commander Katrina Chance

1,026 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Impending Midnight
Location: Ready Room, Deck 1 -- U.S.S Missouri
Timeline: 1620 hours

Some say there is no time like the present. But asCommander Katrina Chance stared out the forward viewport of the runabout Yellowstone, she questioned that saying.

Here she was, an unexpected transfer, mere hours away from a fleet action of galactic importance. A newly minted first officer who was supposed to step into the role of executive officer, aboard an unfamiliar ship, with an unfamiliar, most likely stunned crew.

"Out of the frying pan... thought the woman, as she reached up to touch her new black pip. She let out a sigh, before the console next to her let out a series of rhythmic bleeps. Looking over to her copilot she droned, "Report, Ensign."

"We are approaching the Missouri's position, Commander," replied the redheaded human male, Ensign Charles King. "They are prepared to receive you. We will intercept in thirty seconds."

"Make it quick, Ensign," Kat responded in an expressionless monotone, all her translator could manage. "Take us out of warp just long enough for transport, then signal the Missouri she can get under way."

"Understood, sir," the ensign replied with ease, tapping at his console. As he did so and soft computerized tones filled the cockpit of the runabout, Katrina took one last look down at her uniform. Perfectly straight and pressed, it would likely leave an immediate impression with her new commanding officer. Satisfied, she stepped away from the control area to the transporter pad at the back of the runabout just in time to hear, "Dropping out of warp."

With a nod, Katrina let her arms fall to her sides and droned, "Thank you for the ride, Ensign. Energize."

With that, Katrina heard a hum coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. She felt herself floating as the ground dematerialized from under her. For a moment, all he saw was blue, before the familiar surroundings of a transporter room resolved around her. Stepping off the platform, she nodded in greeting to the transporter operator, a human woman with red hair with master chief pips. The woman nodded back to her and offered a, "Commander, welcome aboard."

"Thank you, chief," the Commander responded in her monotone. She could immediately tell the chief was unnerved, though whether it was by the tone of her voice or the fact her lips didn't move, Katrina couldn't tell. It was a reaction she was very used to by now. "Could you tell me where the captain is, please?"

"She's in her ready room," responded the transporter chief. "I believe there is a senior staff briefing at the top of the hour."

With a nod, Katrina started to move towards the door, her eyes still focused on the woman. "Understood, thank you again," she said before leaving the transporter room, the chief now wrestling with the presence of this new officer.

Though she hadn't been on a Bellerophon or Intrepid class starship to date, Starfleet ships were usually fairly easy to find one's way around. In a matter of minutes, she had located a turbolift. Approaching it and tapping the controls, it was only a moment before one arrived with a quiet hum. The doors parting, she stepped into the empty lift car and turned around, stating, "Computer, locate Captain Cooke."

With a familiar duo tone acknowledging Katrina's request the computer responded in a level voice, "Captain Cooke is in her ready room."

That made sense. A commanding officer was most likely to be near the command center of a ship, especially in a situation as serious as this. Not wanting to waste any more time, she said simply, "Bridge." The computer beeped in acknowledgement, the lights in the walls starting to pulse as the lift moved upwards. The ride lasted a minute or so before the lift slowed, then stopped, revealing the expansive bridge. Katrina stepped forward, nodding to the few people who turned and acknowledged her presence. Stepping up to the ready room door, Katrina rang the chime with no preamble.

Patricia was still in disbelief:

After scheduling a senior staff meeting as ordered, Tsukasa had penned her resignation. Confirming once and for all what Patricia had suspected all along: Tsukasa was not cut out for Command Material, and she would be transferring to Starbase Frontier.

Patricia found it frankly disgusting that someone she looked up to for so long had such a fraud for a younger sister. She had trusted her life and her ship to a coward who bailed on her and was content to comfortably wait out the inevitable instead of taking a stand on the side of life and making a difference.

Patricia had been busy processing personnel transfers (something which should have fallen to her XO, but since Tsukasa was now gone, it was additional work that Patricia was taking on herself) and as a result, the furnishing of Tsukasa's replacement had slipped through the cracks. As such, Patricia was not expecting the ready room chime to suddenly go off.

Setting down her work, Patricia rose to her feet and faced the ready room doors.

"Enter:" She called out.

Permission given, Katrina stepped forward up to the ready room door's detection threshold. Compliantly, the doors slid open with a faint whoosh, bringing Katrina face to face (more or less) with her new commanding officer. The newly minted XO moved forward on the carpeted floor, past the entrance to the ready room. Approaching Captain Cook's desk she offered in at least an attempt to be pleasant, "Afternoon, Captain. Commander Katrina Chance, reporting for duty. I have been assigned to act as your new executive officer." But with the monotonic words she voiced, her lips didn't move even slightly.

As she spoke, she produced a PADD from a small pocket on her uniform and set it carefully down on her new commander's desk.

Patricia did raise a curious eyebrow, wondering where the voice was coming from, if not from the Commander's mouth, but kept the thought to herself.

"I see..." Patricia said, extending a hand for the other woman to shake. "Well, welcome aboard, Commander: It's good to know that good officers still exist in the fleet."

To be continued...

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